Secure Ordering Web Site Help

[Lowe119]

I know this isn't motorcycle related, but how and where can I make a web site that has a secure ordering page?
I know basic HTML and can do forms, but my mother wants me to make a site where she can sell stuff and have the credit card info sent securely. I'm not going to host it in house, so I need a service I can trust. I actually don't like the fact that she wants someone as inexperienced as me doing it, but she does.
Please steer me to where I can at least do some research.
Thanks y'all

PS I'm not a big programmer, but I do have my MCSE and have a decent knowledge of networking.

[WebCrush]

First decision is whether you want to build vs buy vs outsource.

The outsource option I refer to is that there are companies out there that can host a 'online shopping cart' and provide CC authorization.

The next option is buy--there are plenty of both free and commercial software to create online e-commerce systems but they often do not include the secure certificate nor credit card processing.

Lastly, you have build.  

Once you have your pages togther, you'll need to get a signed certificate from verisign.  You'll also need to find  way to accept CC's online, which usually means having a merchant acct and and more hardware (dedicated phone line) to a CC processing system.

If you want to keep it simple, just get the certificate, configure a https server on port 443 and apply the cert to it and when people need to enter CC info and such, point them to that new httpd server

Next

[r6_philly]

the solution that I provide for small business is:

set up a database-driven site/cart. buy a secure cert for your entire domain, or use a general one that your hosting service provides. Then when someone use cc to purchase anything, it gets saved into the database. you can log in daily or periodically to retrieve the cc info and run it yourself. It takes less setting up and you won't have to contract a online payment processing service/gateway. It would be like any mailorder you get the cc over the phone, only you can getting it from the web. The site/store and the admin section where you retrieve the info can both be under the secure site, and can be password protected as well.

[Jeff]

paypal shopping cart...  The quickest and easiest means...

Everything else IS expensive and gets difficult.  Believe me, I've been there.....

MCSE - must consult someone else  ;D  :o

[r6_philly]

paypal shopping cart...  The quickest and easiest means...

Everything else IS expensive and gets difficult.  Believe me, I've been there.....

MCSE - must consult someone else  ;D  :o

paypal charges too much. and customization is not real great. why you say everything else is expensive and difficult? Expensive is relative to what you get, and difficult? well degree of difficulty kind of translate to whether you want a unique site or one that look like 1000's of others.

[Nate R]

paypal charges too much? 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction isn't too bad at all. Lets see, I pay 2.39% + 30 cents for a credit card transaction through the processing company I deal with, and have monthly minimums, etc. All CC processing places charge you a monthly fee. Some ARE as low at 10 bucks/Mo, and have rates around 2%. But, even at a .9% difference in rate, paypal is the same cost until you get above about 1500/month in sales.

I think it's an awesome way to set up an easy, inexpensive online store.

[Jeff]

paypal charges too much. and customization is not real great. why you say everything else is expensive and difficult? Expensive is relative to what you get, and difficult? well degree of difficulty kind of translate to whether you want a unique site or one that look like 1000's of others.

Are you high?  Find me some place that will charge you LESS than paypal to process transactions!  I encountered ONE situation which I was able to get a smoking deal that was less than paypal, but it did not have an online interface, so I needed a secure database for transactions.

The question is by someone who admittedly does not have a lot of web development experience.  Thus, I provided the simplest, most cost effective solution I knew.  I know there are many other solutions available, but I do not beleive you will find one easier AND cheaper...

[ecumike]

I agreee.. Paypal is too much if you are planning on selling alot.

If it's onesies and twosies, then paypal is OK but if you're selling stuff on a continuous basis/regularily, get some free software like OScommerce, get your secure cert, and use a process co like Wolrdpay, or the like to do transactions.

Right... if you don't wanna program a lot of sh1t, they Paypal is the way. Easy and quick. If you want to make a catalog and have users create profiles, and get the whole experience, then go with OScommerce and someone from this list...  http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/Financial_Services/Transaction_Clearing/Credit_Card_Merchant_Services/

[Lowe119]

paypal shopping cart...  The quickest and easiest means...

Everything else IS expensive and gets difficult.  Believe me, I've been there.....

MCSE - must consult someone else  ;D  :o

 ;D :D ;D  must consult someone else lmao

I checked into the paypal thing and it was way too expensive - 2.9%? ouch

Thanks for the advice, y'all. I'm printing it out and reviewing it right now.

[Jeff]

okay, let's define a lot...

If you're doing more than $1500-2000/mo, or more than 50 transactions, and you're confident that your monthly rate will remain at or above this amount, then, yes, find something other than paypal...

However, if you want it up by this afternoon, I still stand by paypal  8)

[ecumike]

okay, let's define a lot...

If you're doing more than $1500-2000/mo, or more than 50 transactions, and you're confident that your monthly rate will remain at or above this amount, then, yes, find something other than paypal...

However, if you want it up by this afternoon, I still stand by paypal  8)

Yes, agreed

[Jeff]

I checked into the paypal thing and it was way too expensive - 2.9%? ouch

LOL... let us know what you come up with...  ~3% for CC processing TO INCLUDE American Express, is a reasonable deal.